In-N-Out History

In 1948 Harry Snyder introduces California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand in a space barely 10 feet square at Francisquito and Garvey in Baldwin Park. Every day before dawn, Harry visits the meat and produce markets to pick out fresh ingredients, which he prepares by hand. Meanwhile, his wife Esther diligently takes care of all the accounting for the new restaurant at their home right around the corner. In 1954 The iconic In-N-Out arrow makes its first appearance, replacing the original “No Delay” sign. Inspired by their new logo, In-N-Out associates adopt the sayings, “The arrow points to pride” and “We all work under the same arrow.” Then in 1958 Fountain service replaces bottles! In-N-Out now offers a choice of Orange, 7UP, Nehi Strawberry, Nehi Cream Soda, Root Beer, Pepsi, Coke and Delaware Punch. A 12 oz. cup (without lid) costs a mere ten cents.

A new facility opened in 1963 dedicated to providing increasing numbers of guests with traditional In-N-Out quality begins operations using the freshest ingredients available. Up till now, each chuck personally selected and ground under Harry’s supervision has been hand formed into patties by Esther, using a manual press. One of founder Harry Snyder’s favorite movies, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, features characters racing to find treasure buried under four palm trees planted to resemble the letter W. Because each In-N-Out store is Harry’s treasure, a tradition of planting crossed palm trees in front of most In-N-Out locations begins in 1972.

At the quarter-century mark, 1973, In-N-Out has 13 restaurants open, all in Los Angeles County. Every restaurant is a “two-lane,” meaning that it has two lanes for drive-thru customers, no dining room, and often a handful of small tables outside for guests, and in 1974 the traditional colors of In-N-Out become part of each associate’s uniform as red aprons replace white. Until now, uniforms have been all white except for black shoes and belt. Real ice cream milk shakes officially join the In-N-Out menu. Malts had previously been available at select locations for nearly a decade.

In-N-Out’s founder, Harry Snyder, passes away in December of 1976. His sons Rich and Guy Snyder take over as President and Vice President respectively. Harry’s commitment to providing his customers with the freshest, highest quality foods and a spotless, sparkling environment has given the company’s 18 restaurants a reputation for excellence. Harry’s devotion to his associates, who are treated as family, is as important as his core values of cleanliness, quality and service. The innovative spirit that inspired Harry to develop the Two-Way Speaker for drive-thru customers, and the commitment to quality he demonstrated by thoroughly inspecting and selecting meat and produce every morning in the early days, have contributed to a legacy that will carry In-N-Out toward the next century guided by an unwavering dedication to its customers.

On June 17th, 1988 In-N-Out’s 50th location opens in Thousand Palms, CA. At this time, In-N-Out is serving customers across Southern California at stores in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties. Then in 1994 On November 10, Gilroy, California becomes home to the 100th In-N-Out restaurant when the doors open at 641 Leavesley Road. At this time, California and Nevada remain the only states with In-N-Out locations. In 1998 In-N-Out reaches the half-century mark with 134 restaurants and 5,498 associates. A commemorative T-shirt bears an image by artist Mark Davidson of a classic 1950s-era Woodie station wagon in front of an In-N-Out drive-thru. After 50 years, the company remains a family business, maintaining the dedication to quality and customer service that Harry Snyder established with his very first store. Then in 2005 California marks the 200th restaurant in the family. Welcoming guests on December 30, the store adds to a presence that extends from California to Nevada and Arizona. Finally in 2015 In-N-Out celebrates the addition of its 300th restaurant and its second location in Anaheim, California.